Jim Garrison Complains About Sylvia Meagher
- Fred Litwin
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
I found this Garrison letter that he wrote to his literary agent in the files of Richard Sprague, the Warren Commission critic who specialized in the photographs of the case, at the National Archives. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that it has been published on the internet.
Garrison really goes after Meagher and says she was mistaken "on virtually every major point which she made."
Garrison included some enclosures with this letter.
In response, Garrison included the title page from Richard Helms' testimony:
But here is what Helms actually said, and Garrison knew this because this document was in his files:
Helms said was that Shaw was a domestic contact of the CIA. Like thousands of other businessmen.
Regarding point two, here is what Meagher wrote in her analysis:
Garrison included this to support his allegation:
Surely, Garrison must have known that the Justice Department had made a mistake. I covered this in two blog posts:
Shaw's attorneys go to Washington to clear up the mess made by Ramsey Clark and the Justice Department.
The DOJ clarified the situation with a statement in June, 1967.
Point three in Garrison's letter is about Oswald's height. Here is what Meagher wrote about that:
Here is Garrison's text which concerns his belief that Kerry Thornley was impersonating Lee Harvey Oswald.
Of course, the reality is that Oswald was shorter than Thornley.
Garrison tells the HSCA all sorts of stories about Kerry Thornley
Garrison tells the HSCA that Kerry Thornley might be the body in the backyard photographs.
Garrison wrote a crazy memo to the HSCA about Thornley.
Garrison writes to Gaeton Fonzi about Thornley.
Lou Ivon writes an entire memo about Oswald's height.
Garrison then brings up the Clinton witnesses. Here is what Meagher had to say about them:
I have covered the Clinton witnesses in detail. Had their been discovery in the Louisiana courts in 1967, Shaw's attorneys would have had access to Garrison's case file. The Clinton witness reports were full of inconsistencies and would have provided ample fodder for cross-examination. In fact, the notes of Anne Dischler, Garrison's initial investigator in Clinton, casts serious doubt on the credibility of these witnesses. But even the HSCA did not have her notes, nor did the HSCA figure out that she was Garrison's first investigator in Clinton.
You have to love Garrison's accusation that Meagher might have been "government property":
Garrison writes that "I could hardly have had a more severe mugging from Anthony Summers." Garrison had taken exception to having Summers serve as a referee because he had written that Garrison had met Johnny Roselli in Las Vegas.
In a December 1985, letter to Louis Sproesser, Garrison referred to Summers as a CIA prostitute:
Back to Garrison's letter:
Garrison suggests that other reviewers would have been more objective than Meagher -- "there were many from which to choose -- ranging from Mark Lane to Fletcher Prouty ..."
Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison
Meagher's critique, Prentice-Hall's rejection letter, and Garrison's response.
My review of Meagher's book.
My review of Kaitlyn Tiffany's new book.
Meagher comments on Garrison's failure to appear on a radio show.
An excerpt from a letter Meagher sent to Thomas Stamm.
Salandria tries to make up with Meagher.
Philippe Labro was a French journalist who covered the JFK assassination for France-Soir.
Fensterwald invites Meagher to join his organization. She refuses because of Jim Garrison.
A scathing review of Flammonde's book about the Garrison investigation.
An exchange of letters about Jim Garrison.
Garrison comes up with a crazy code and Sylvia Meagher calls him out.
Meagher also wrote poetry.
Meagher's very good idea shows that Garrison didn't care to learn the truth.
Thornley tells Meagher about an article illustrating Garrison's pre-occupation with the JFK assassination.
Bethell wrote Meagher about Charles Spiesel and his ridiculous testimony at the Clay Shaw trial.
Sylvia Meagher's terrific letter to Look Magazine in response to their article "The Persecution of Clay Shaw."
She was very pleased with his acquittal.
Meagher writes Clay Shaw a letter and his response is just terrific.
Dr. Wecht didn't think too much of Garrison, either.
Meagher educates Farrell on Jim Garrison.
A plea to Oliver Stone with a compilation of Meagher's writings about Jim Garrison.
Howard Roffman writes a letter to Harold Weisberg about Sylvia Meagher.
This phone call broke their relationship.
An unpublished Meagher memo on the trial of Clay Shaw.
Another unpublished Meagher memo on the Garrison investigation and Warren Report critics.
Sylvia Meagher's letter to the Editor regarding Garrison's interview in Playboy Magazine.
Meagher writes Harold Weisberg with her comments on the verdict.
James Phelan and Sylvia Meagher write Garrison letters about his book.
An exchange of letters between Thornley and Meagher.
Meagher writes Thornley about Lane's comment on RFK.
Meagher writes Thornley with an opinion.
Exchange of letters between Meagher, Arnoni and Garrison.
Meagher writes Weisberg about the damage Garrison is doing to critics of the Warren Report.
Meagher replies to the New York Review of Books regarding Popkin's article on Garrison.
An exchange of letters between Popkin and Meagher.